Fuel tank construction



March 14, 1950 R. E. FROOM FUEL TANK CONSTRUCTION Filed May 20' 1946 Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUEL TANK CONSTRUCTION Randall E. Froorn, Glendale, Calif.

Application May 20, 1946, Serial No. 670,920

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to self-propelled toy airplanes such as commonly found on the market at the present time. Such airplanes are equipped with complete power plants and accessories, including fuel tanks.

The present invention has particular reference to improvements in the manufacture of such fuel tanks, and it has for its object to pro vide a fuel tank structure which is economical to make and convenient to install in the various types of toy airplanes now on the market.

To this end, the invention consists in the combinations hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fuel tank embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a substantially corresponding end view of the device and with parts thereof arranged in a particular manner, the importance of which will be hereinafter fully explained;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the end plates of the device;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the part 11- lustrated in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device showing parts thereof arranged in a different manner.

Fuel tanks of toy airplanes generally include a light tubular, cylindrical body. Circular end plates are made with flanges fitting tightly over the ends of the body and soldered in position thereon.

Brackets are thereupon placed on the cylinder and soldered thereon in proper position for correctly mounting the tank on some particular make of toy airplane. It is found, however, that although airplanes of different makes may follow a generally accepted pattern, variations are present in the position taken by the fuel tank on such planes. Due to such structural variations, it becomes necessary in most cases to move the brackets at one end of the tank circumferentially relative to the brackets at the other end thereof.

Soldering such brackets correctly in position on the tank is, in itself, a slow and painstaking operation, and when it becomesnecessary to modify the angular relation of the brackets at one end relative to the other, the operation becomes quite expensive and the result not very satisfactory. Furthermore, it necessary to bend or twist the brackets into some required shape and, in doing this, danger is present that the brackets may become dislodged.

I have solved these problems, which are common in toy airplanes, by forming the end plates is often found l0 with a plurality of ears I I, l 2, which generally are arranged in diametrically aligned pairs as indicated in Figs. 1 to 4. When such composite end plates are used, it is seen that the angular position of the ears of the two plates, relative to each other and to the filling nozzle 5 at the top of the tank, may be quickly and accurately adjusted, whereupon it is merely required to solder the plates in position on the cylinder. It is furthermore found that each ear may be bent, or formed into any desired shape for mounting puroses after the end plates have been soldered in position, without danger of severing the ears from the tank. Fig. 5 is added in order to illustrate how the end plates may be relatively adjusted and the ears thereof formed, as indicated at l5, It, or twisted as shown at H, I8 to suit some particular mounting requirements.

It is seen from the foregoing description that I have provided a very simple and inexpensive fuel tank which may be conveniently adjusted to suit various installation requirements and which may be so adjusted without danger of damaging the tank, or any part thereof, or destroying the utility thereof.

I claim:

A fuel tank for a toy airplane comprising, a cylindrical body, and fiat end plates having flanges tightly fitting the outer edges of the body, said plates having ears extending from the edges of the flanges thereof, said ears being folded over the outer surfaces of the flanges whereupon the ends of the ears are bent back to extend radially in line with the end surfaces of the plates, the flanges being rotatable on the body to bring the ears of one end plate into required angular relation to the ears of the other plate whereupon the flanges are soldered in adjusted position on the body to provide leak-proof joints.

RANDALL E. FROOM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,316,949 Hall Sept. 23, 1919 1,344,089 Poland June 22, 1920 1,448,344 Hauf Mar. 13, 1923 1,627,852 Kroll May 10, 1927 2,199,481 Chappell May 7, 1940 2,303,126 Koppel Nov. 24, 1942 2,319,487 Baldwin, Jr. May 18, 1943 2,375,215 Davis May 8, 1945 

